Vizag citizens express concern as district records over 1000 COVID cases in single day

In its sharpest spike yet, Vizag recorded over 1000 new COVID-19 cases in a span of 24 hours. As per the health bulletin released by the Andhra Pradesh Health Department, Vizag reported 1049 COVID-19 cases in single day, marking a massive jump in figures. While the total number of cases in the district has not been confirmed, the number is estimated* to be around 4481.

The steep rise in cases has now emerged as a cause of worry in Vizag. As reported earlier, a few parts of the district have already gone into a self-lockdown mode with traders and denizens voluntarily placing curbs on their day-to-day activities. As the region witnessed cases in excess of 1000, these concerns seem to have exacerbated, with many urging the authorities to reimpose the lockdown and place stricter containment measures.

K Lakshmi Narayana, a retired banker in Vizag, opines, “The cases in the district are growing at an alarming rate. While the testing strategies being implemented by the authorities are appreciable, it is important to break the chain to contain the spread. I would suggest a complete lockdown for three weeks to control the situation upto some extent. While there have been arguments that people need to be self-disciplined and not be locked down, the scenes at some common public places in the city paint a different scenario. Many individuals can be spotted without a mask or breaking the physical distancing norms. Therefore, similar to the path being followed by a few other regions in the state, lockdown must be brought into effect once again in Vizag.”

“The surge in the cases is quite frightening. I feel that by imposing lockdown across the district for at least one month, we might be able to slow down the effect of the virus. Authorities should take necessary action on those who violate the safety norms. People, at the same time, should come forward and raise awareness among themselves,” says S Swapna, a homemaker from Vizag.

Joining the call for another lockdown in Vizag is Jaya Murthy. “Giving the number of COVID cases increasing by the day, and the sight of the growing number of barricades across the city, is signaling towards one solution, the city of Vizag like other places, needs to go into lockdown yet again. While some may question the viability of this, I feel that lockdown will help reduce the spread of the virus, and prevent it from spreading drastically. Before the situation spirals out of control, it is important to enforce a strict lockdown. Also, this time should be used for amping up tests, screening more people,” she shares.

“I think we still have time to act before the situation gets out of hand. Imposing restrictions in areas where people gather as a crowd may prevent further spread of the virus. While I drive by, I often see people bringing their kids to the beach over the weekend without a mask. By restricting the entry into areas like beach road over the weekends, we might avert further spread of the virus. Physical distancing must be practised at supermarkets to prevent the risk of the virus transmission. People might retaliate if a complete lockdown is imposed. However, imposing a curfew post 7 PM and restricting the movement at night might be helpful. Officials should ensure that the public must strictly adhere to the guidelines, wear masks, and follow physical distancing. All said and done, it’s high time that we as citizens of Vizag should be more responsible and observe safety precautions as directed by the authorities,” says Dietitian and Nutritionist, Anjali Dange of Starlite Nutrition & Wellness Center.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases marked a concerning figure across Andhra Pradesh as well. As per the Depart of Health, Medical, and Family Welfare Department, Andhra Pradesh recorded as many as 6045 new COVID-19 cases in a single day to take the count to 64,713 on Wednesday. While 31763 cases were marked active as on last afternoon, 32127 individuals were discharged after recovering. The death toll surged to 823 with 65 persons (15 in Guntur, 10 in Krishna, 8 in West Godavari, 7 in East Godavari, 5 in Chittoor, 5 in Kurnool, 4 in Vizianagaram, 3 in Prakasam, 3 in Srikakulam, 3 in Visakhapatnam, and one each in Kadapa and Nellore) succumbing to the deadly virus.

* It is to be noted that the district report wasn’t released by the officials on Wednesday.